Racking Up the Money
Before my first experience at a casino, many people gave me advice on how I was supposed to gamble. Some said to wait until a person left a slot machine after not winning and then sit at that one for a better chance at winning. Some said to stick to the nickel slot machines and bring only a limited amount of money. I took in all the advice and planned on doing my best to try to go by it. Upon arriving at the casino one of my friends showed me the ropes and then I was on my way. I played mostly the nickel slot machines along with a dollar slot here and there. Also, I tried the black jack machines, but they didn't seem the best way to win the big bucks. In the end I was ahead a small amount and I cashed out. Before leaving my friend wanted to get a cold drink, so we headed over to get one at the beverage counter. Still having a few quarters left in my pocket, I stopped and put them into a quarter machine. First I won $5, then $10, and ended winning $2.50. During that time I was hopping around so each time I won I would move to a new machine. After having no luck on a machine I tried a few minutes earlier, I put several quarters in, and then it happened: two wild diamonds and a seven flashed up in front of me and the credit counter started to shoot up. Finally, it stopped on 350 quarters, or $87.50! As the quarters were spitting out at me, my friend returned and was in disbelief. Overall my first experience at a casino was an enjoyable one. Even though I walked away with about $100, I had a lot of fun before that lucky pull. Hopefully my next casino experience will be just as good and lucky. Written By: Curtis Kelley |
Diver's Central Springtime is here again, which means that summer is only a couple of short months away. For some: longer, warmer, sunny days are on the way. For others, it means more water activities now that the lakes are no longer composed of icebergs and sub-freezing temperatures. For the ones who pick the water activities, this summer is beginning to look like a promising one. Compared to the previous years, the water temperature of Portage Lake and the surrounding area will be comfortable quite early on in the season. For some it does not really matter how warm or cold the water is, they will still dive right in. Divers in the Northern Michigan area do not care too much about the water conditions due to one of the most wonderful
inventions...the wet suit. What they do care about though is the visibility level under the waters. Scuba divers experience what is extremely well known by most who have ever been to the bottom of a lake, such as the fish, the plants and what may possibly be the best of all, the shipwrecks. Sure, you can see and hear about most of the things above the water line, but underneath it is a whole other world.
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In spite of what many people
believe, there are a lot of amazing things to see under the waters. The
colors are so much brighter because you are eye level
with them rather than looking down upon them and there is
also no glare or reflection from the sun. The fish will
swim away from you like they do most of the time, but if
you sit in one position for a while, it is amazing what
you will see. It seems as though the fish think you are
one of their own and they are no longer afraid to
swim right up beside you and sometimes they even stay along side
while you continue your dive. The favorite among most
divers is the old shipwrecks. There are countless shipwrecks in the Great Lakes, most of which has not even been dove on because of the immense depth at which they rest. Two of the most unique ones are right here in our area. On of those ships is off the South Manitou island near the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and the other is right here in Portage Lake. If one ever gets the chance to go scuba diving, the dive of “The Music”, located in the northern part of Portage Lake just west of the park, is a highly recommended one. Many divers are anticipating a fun and adventurous diving season this summer. Written by: Kaylie Matheiu
Kaylie Matheiu, Junior |
